What is a…
charmer
also known as: snake-charmer
This is one who practices snake-charming (Psalm 58:5; Jeremiah 8:17; Eccl. 10:11).
It was an early and universal opinion that the most venomous reptiles could be made harmless by certain charms or by sweet sounds. It is well known that there are jugglers in India and in other Eastern lands who practise this art at the present day.
In Isaiah 19:3 the word “charmers” is a translation of the Hebrew word 'ittim, meaning, properly, necromancers (Revised King James Version marginal note, “whisperers”).
In Deuteronomy 18:11 the word “charmer” means a dealer in spells, especially one who, by binding certain knots, was supposed thereby to bind a curse or a blessing on its object.
In Isaiah 3:3, the words “eloquent orator” should be, as in the Revised King James Version, “skilful enchanter.”
More information
- SERPENTS—What does the Bible say about them?
- ENCHANTMENTS—What does the Bible say about them?
- ANIMALS of the Bible